selling

Islamabad, Pakistan – On September 16, a delegation from Powerus, a year-old United States drone company backed by two sons of President Donald Trump, was received by Pakistan’s military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at military headquarters in Rawalpindi.

A day later, the company announced it had received a “limited procurement order” from Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence for unmanned aerial systems. It also said it had signed a separate memorandum of understanding (MoU) with senior Pakistani defence officials.

Neither the value of the order nor the systems involved have been disclosed. But for analysts studying Pakistan’s venture in drone technology, even bigger concerns have arisen from information that has since emerged.

Less than three months earlier, the same company had given an Indian defence manufacturer the exclusive right to make and sell its drone interceptor technology in India. And one of the cofounders of Powerus is an Israeli military veteran. Pakistan does not recognise Israel and accuses it of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

Analysts are questioning why a country that already builds its own drones and buys others from China and Turkiye would turn to a company that was founded only last year – and has links to Israel and sells drones to India too.

“Pakistan technically already makes or is capable of making each of the drones shown by Powerus,” Bilal Khan, founder of the Quwa Group, a Toronto-based defence news and market intelligence platform, told Al Jazeera. “It’s unclear where Powerus fits in the long term [from Pakistan’s perspective].”

What did Pakistan sign?

In its statement on the meeting, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said the two sides discussed cooperation in defence procurement, production and capacity building.

The statement did not mention the MoU.

But Powerus told Al Jazeera which institutions were involved. “The MoU was signed with the Pakistan army. The related procurement order was placed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence,” a company spokesperson said.

In its own statement, Powerus said the memorandum was not a definitive agreement, created no purchase obligation and would be subject to US laws and government approvals.

“We are proud to support Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence, and the memorandum gives both sides a strategic framework to build upon,” Brett Velicovich, the company’s cofounder, said in the statement.

According to media reports, Velicovich has also said the company is exploring ways to build technology in Pakistan.

The ISPR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

Founded in 2025 and based in Florida, Powerus is set to merge with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company that owns golf courses in the US state, in a deal expected to close in the final quarter of this year.

Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, President Trump’s oldest sons, are investors in Powerus through a vehicle called American Ventures, which is expected to hold a 9.9 percent beneficial stake in the combined company, according to US regulatory filings.

A spokesperson for Donald Trump Jr has told media outlets that he is a passive investor with no role in the company’s operations or contracts and had no prior knowledge of the Pakistan deals.

The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest.

The company makes about 3,000 interceptor drones a month, according to media reports, and last month won a US Air Force contract with a ceiling of up to $90m.

Asked how it addresses conflict of interest questions while pursuing government defence work in the US and abroad, Powerus said the Trump brothers played no part in its operations.

“Trump’s sons are not advisers to Powerus and have no involvement in how the company runs its business or structures its defence relationships, domestically or internationally. They hold no corporate-governance role. Our government relationships are pursued on their own merits,” the company told Al Jazeera.

The India question

Powerus’s first deal in South Asia, however, was not in Pakistan.

It was in India, Pakistan’s archrival, with which Pakistan fought a brief but intense conflict in May last year, one in which drones were used by both sides.

In a June 30 filing to India’s stock exchanges, Paras Defence and Space Technologies said Powerus had granted it an exclusive licence to manufacture and sell its Guardian-1 interceptor technology in India.

Mansoor Ahmed, an honorary lecturer at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said Washington has long armed rival states.

“The US has previously sold F-16s to Greece and Turkiye and Egypt and Israel and is now selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia, which Israel already operates,” he told Al Jazeera.

A former Pakistani government defence analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity said Pakistani planners had probably known about the Indian deal.

“Pakistan’s defence planners were likely aware of Powerus’s engagement with India,” he told Al Jazeera.

This isn’t the first time that Pakistan and India have ended up buying military equipment from the same company, the defence analyst pointed out. He cited the build-up to the conflict over the Siachen Glacier, where India launched Operation Meghdoot in April 1984 to take control of the heights.

“In 1983, Pakistan ordered high-altitude warfare gear from a London supplier, unaware that the same firm also provided gear to the Indian army, and subsequently, India learnt of it and planned Operation Meghdoot in 1984,” he said.

The analyst said the burden now lies with the company.

“In the present case, the challenge is more for Powerus than Pakistan or India as Powerus’s management must ensure it can manage and meet the requirements of two adversaries without jeopardising either side’s operational security.”

A retired Pakistan air force air marshal who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly said the arrangement carries risks for Pakistan.

“Two adversary countries procuring from the same source has its pitfalls, especially when one of the adversaries has taken the lead as well as has a larger financial capacity,” he told Al Jazeera.

An Israeli link

The company’s leadership also has links to Israel, a country Pakistan does not recognise.

Powerus’s website described one of its cofounders, Ziv Marom, as a veteran of the Israeli military and said he founded Kaizen Aerospace, now a Powerus subsidiary.

Another senior executive, Justin Gans, the company’s vice president for mergers and acquisitions and a former member of the US Navy SEAL special forces, served as a vice president at Elbit Systems of America, the US arm of the Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, from 2018 to 2019.

A retired three-star army Pakistani general who served in senior roles before retiring in 2019 and requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject said such a background would normally draw attention during vetting.

“So under normal circumstances, a cofounder’s service in the Israeli military would be flagged as a sensitivity marker, even if the company itself is American,” he told Al Jazeera.

“In other words, for a serious acquisition, this background would be scrutinised carefully. For a political MoU, it may not have been a decisive factor.”

Quwa’s Khan, however, said Pakistan has long accepted Israeli components inside US or European systems.

“We can see that, generally, as long as there’s a country in the middle, Pakistan does not have qualms being in close proximity to Israel,” he said. “However, the two sides very, very rarely talk to each other.”

What drone technology does Pakistan already have?

Beyond questions over who else Powerus works with, analysts said the more fundamental issue is what Pakistan actually needs from the company.

Pakistan’s air force has publicly displayed Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones, Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones and the domestically developed Shahpar-II.

China supplied 80 percent of Pakistan’s arms imports from 2021 to 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

This month, the Pakistan air force revealed in a video that it had incorporated into its forces China’s HQ-17AE air defence missile system and Turkiye’s Korkut anti-aircraft gun and Sahin counterdrone system, all built to take on drones and other low-flying threats.

Khan said the state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila was also working with private firms to develop interceptor drones.

“So as it stands, Pakistan is following all the right best practices to build its C-UAS posture,” he said, referring to counterdrone systems.

“For Pakistan, the challenge isn’t whether it can get the designs but whether it can produce or induct these in large enough numbers fast enough.”

An official at a private drone manufacturer in Rawalpindi who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media said Pakistan’s drone market has grown well beyond state-run firms.

Dozens of private companies and more than half a dozen state-owned enterprises now make drones besides the army’s own production facilities, he said. According to him, Powerus would have to compete with all of them on the quality of its products.

The retired general offered a different reading of why Pakistan might be interested in a tie-up with a US firm.

“The gap is not drone manufacturing. It is electronics, integration and systems-level capability, which is where American firms traditionally dominate,” he said. “How far this particular company can help in this regard is a million-dollar question.”

Powerus’s Guardian interceptors are small, low-cost drones designed to knock down incoming drones. They are a weapon widely used by both sides in the war in Ukraine.

Hammad Waleed, a research associate at the Islamabad-based Strategic Vision Institute, said such systems fill a cost gap that conventional air defences cannot.

“Traditional air defences use costly missiles against incoming cheaper drones,” he told Al Jazeera. “Interceptor drones are way cheaper and easier to operate than traditional air defences.”

Capability or signalling?

The retired Pakistani general, who has experience with defence production, said a supplier of this kind would normally face financial, technical and security checks as well as a review of its track record.

“A company less than a year old, not yet listed and without a delivery record would not usually clear these checks for a strategic defence partnership,” he said.

“Such firms are typically considered too immature unless the MoU is political signalling rather than a procurement decision.”

Khan agreed that the process has been unusual.

“Yes, the way this deal came about is not generally in line with how the procurement heads of the tri-services typically operate,” he said, referring to the three branches of Pakistan’s military.

The Powerus agreements were made as Munir has built close ties with President Trump, who has called him “my favourite field marshal” and praised him on several occasions during the past 15 months.

In September last year, weeks after Pakistan signed a $500m critical minerals agreement with a US company, Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Trump at the White House, where the Pakistani leaders presented him with samples of Pakistani minerals.

In January, Pakistan also signed an MoU with an affiliate of World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s main cryptocurrency business.

Khan said Pakistan’s security establishment needs to ask what it is getting in return for that closeness.

“There was a time when such gains were measured in F-16s and the billions in US financial assistance, yet today, we are seeing more photo ops and supposed pacts that obligate the armed forces, but are they helping the armed forces as a fighting force?”

He also offered what he called a “less cynical take”.

Pakistan has a growing number of drone start-ups that lack the capital to build production facilities, he said, and ties with Powerus could draw US investment into them.

“So there is an argument that building rapport with Powerus and its backers can lead to that capital,” Khan said.

Ahmed said Pakistan is looking beyond a single purchase.

“Pakistan’s primary interest appears to be the acquisition of state-of-the-art drone technologies that also allow for local production and indigenisation,” he said.

What about China and Turkiye?

The retired Pakistani general said bringing in a foreign private company could overlap with Pakistan’s existing Chinese and Turkish partnerships.

“It has the potential of being seen by Turkiye and China as Pakistan hedging politically,” he said.

Khan, however, disagreed.

“There’d be no issue with the Turks as they work with US companies all the time and the drones on offer by Powerus don’t overlap with the ones NASTP is designing with Turkiye,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park.

He added that any Powerus designs built cheaply in Pakistan would still rely on Chinese parts.

“With the Chinese, it’d be less of an issue because, ultimately, the only way to make these Powerus designs at a low enough cost for the Pakistani armed forces to induct is to literally import the upstream subassemblies from China.”

Waleed said the deal would not dent Pakistan’s defence ties with Beijing and Ankara.

“Pakistan is prioritising China and Turkiye for the sophisticated and modern combat systems in the drone and counterdrone domain. That relationship is not only unaffected and is going upwards in trajectory,” he said.

For now, Khan said, the real test of the Powerus deal would be what follows it.

“I would not pass judgement on the Powerus deal yet, but we can track whether it’s serious by seeing if the MoD [Ministry of Defence] signs similar deals with other foreign and local vendors in the coming months,” he said.

“Basically, will we see a consistent pattern moving forward, or will this be a one-off?”

HELEN Flanagan has put on a busty display and risked popping out of her racy black dress on a night out.

The former Coronation Street star, 36, took to Instagram to share some new snaps as she enjoyed a meal out at Gaucho restaurant in Manchester.

She wore a long ribbed black dress as she showed off plenty of cleavage in the revealing outfit.

Helen threatened to spill out of her attire as she only had three small gold clasps holding her boobs in.

The figure hugging dress perfectly cinched her waist as she displayed her hourglass figure.

She wore her blonde locks in a curly hairstyle and opted for a chic make-up look, complete with false eyelashes, eye shadow and a pink gloss.

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Helen appeared to be in great spirits as she beamed from ear to ear and enjoyed some beverages.

The actress simply used a kissing lip emoji as the caption.

Her followers rushed to the comments section to compliment her as one gushed: “The most gorgeous woman ever.”

Another person enthused: “Stunning and classy.”

Somebody else commented: “Sydney Sweeney ain’t got nothing on you.”

Yet another joked: “I mean…..come on, give the other women a chance.”

While a fifth follower added: “You are so gorgeous.”

Helen’s night out comes just days after she joked about selling her knickers to pay for her solicitors fees, amid her ongoing feud with her ex Scott Sinclair.

The Sun revealed how she has had some recent financial concerns after the father of her kids, 37, recently sold their family home, forcing her to downsize.

In a post on Monday, she shared a video where she quipped that she was going to flog her underwear for cash.

In the short clip, Helen was seen shimmying out of her knickers from underneath a long dress, before swinging them in the air.

In the next shot, she headed into the Post Office where she purchased an envelope.

The saucy star was then seen leaving the shop empty handed, implying she had posted her knickers to a fan.

Helen wrote over the top of the video: “When you have to figure out a way to pay for solicitor fees.”

WELL, it’s officially long-haul season.

There is a specific point every September when the rain starts in the UK that I accept summer’s officially over.

Then I find myself looking beyond my usual European resort searches, and wondering just how much further the exact same holiday budget could take me on my next one.

Conveniently, right now is also a brilliant window for you to start hunting.

Airlines are releasing their fresh seat availability for the next 12 months, hotels are opening up their early-bird room rates, and some properly absurd package prices are dropping onto holiday sites.

When you break a full package down into a nightly cost per person – including flights, hotels, and sometimes full all-inclusive – long-haul stops start looking like an unattainable luxury.

I tracked down direct London half-term flights to New York with a 4-star hotel for £578pp, nine nights in Bali for £630pp, and a 4-star Caribbean all-inclusive break for under £500pp.

So whether it’s bagging some sunshine this winter or getting booked ahead for next year – here are nine long-haul holidays you can bag for seriously cheap prices.

1. Oistins, Barbados – £127pp per night

Barbados carries a reputation for high-end price tags, but target the lively south coast and the maths changes completely.

Oistins and Christ Church give you pristine white sand, local rum shacks, and direct access to the legendary Friday night fish fry without the West Coast luxury premium.

And unlike a lot of long haul beach destinations, self-catering works brilliantly here – grab breakfast at a local bakery, then use your savings to eat fresh seafood by the beach.

If you did fancy a deal for Barbados, I’d keep an eye on Virgin Atlantic and British Airways for direct Heathrow slots, or TUI for regional departures.

I found a seven-night self-catering stay at the 3-star Butterfly Beach Hotel from £890pp, flying direct from London Heathrow on 9 June 2027.

That breaks down to just over £127pp per night for direct flights and a beachfront stay… in Barbados!

2. New York, USA – £116pp per night

If Manhattan has been sitting on your bucket list, February is the absolute golden window to grab a budget package.

Yes, you’ll need a proper winter coat, but you get much smaller crowds, shorter queues at headline attractions, and room rates that drop by hundreds of pounds compared to peak autumn or Christmas.

Skip the inflated hotel blocks right on Times Square: Lower Manhattan puts you steps from Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho, with quick Subway links everywhere else.

Plus, airlines fiercely compete on this route, driving package prices down when new seat blocks open up.

I even clocked five nights at the 4-star Wyndham Garden Chinatown over February half-term – departing 14 February 2027 – for £578pp, flying direct from London Heathrow.

When you break it down, that works out to less than £116pp per night for five nights in the Big Apple.

3. Tokyo, Japan – £101pp per night

February is an underrated time to explore Tokyo, in my opinion.

It’s dry, crisp, and significantly calmer than the cherry-blossom season.

You can wander through historic temples, ramen alleys, and neon cityscapes without fighting through wall-to-wall tour groups.

To maximise your budget, target hotels slightly outside the main tourist hubs of Shinjuku or Shibuya. And because Tokyo’s rail network is unmatched, staying a few stops out slashes your hotel bill without adding any stress.

The 4-star Tokyo Bay Shiomi Prince Hotel sits in the quiet bay area with direct rail links into central Tokyo and Disney Resort.

And it’s where I found a seven-night package for £805pp, including flights from Manchester with hold luggage included, departing 17 February 2027 – working out to a little under £101pp per night.

4. Hanoi, Vietnam – £95pp per night

Hanoi is where you head if you want a long-haul trip that feels like a genuine adventure.

It’s a sensory overload of ancient temples, bustling night markets, and amazing street food stalls.

There’s also a brilliant local coffee culture, serving as the ultimate launchpad for overnight cruises around Ha Long Bay.

June brings tropical warmth and greener mountain landscapes, unlocking some of the lowest package pricing on the board.

You can grab seven nights with breakfast at the 5-star Lucien Hanoi Lakeside Hotel and Rooftop for £758pp, with indirect Manchester flights and hold luggage departing 6 June 2027.

That’s a full 5-star south-east Asian escape for just £95pp per night.

5. Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai – £75pp per night

Dubai is the ultimate option if you want guaranteed long haul sunshine without committing to a two-week journey.

A seven-hour flight gets you world-class dining, rooftop pools, and massive shopping malls.

The single biggest insider trick to saving money in Dubai is looking just past the expensive beach strip.

Inland developments like Jumeirah Village Circle offer far higher hotel specs for a fraction of the cost.

Plus these spots have plenty of cheap, frequent taxis connecting you to the beach in 15 minutes.

Our booking data shows Dubai is dominating long-haul demand right now too.

It’s no wonder either, because I found a seven-night bed and breakfast stay at the 4-star The First Collection at JVC for £598pp, including direct Gatwick flights and hold luggage, departing 20 June 2027.

That comes out to just £75pp per night, which is a pretty extraordinary price for a Dubai holiday of this quality.

6. Patong, Phuket – £72pp per night

Thailand remains the reigning champion for ground-level value.

While long-haul flights require an upfront investment, everyday costs in Thailand – from street-food meals to local transport – cost pennies once you arrive.

Patong is Phuket’s lively epicentre, packing hundreds of restaurants, beach bars, and night markets into a walkable strip.

But connecting flights via Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi keep the package prices remarkably low throughout autumn.

So I managed to track down a seven-night stay at the 3-star Red Planet Phuket Patong for £650pp, including indirect Heathrow flights and hold luggage departing 5 October 2026.

That delivers a week under the Thai sun for an incredible £72pp per night.

7. Playa del Carmen, Mexico – £71pp per night

Mexico’s Riviera Maya serves up the perfect balance of Caribbean beaches, a bit of history, and incredible food.

And Playa del Carmen is ideal because it combines palm-lined beaches with a buzzing, walkable strip along 5th Avenue.

That said, all-inclusive is a must here for keeping your spending under control, particularly for families.

Autumn sits in the tropical shoulder season, unlocking huge package drops while still delivering daily sunshine.

I flagged what I think is a bit of a pricing loophole right now: seven nights all-inclusive at the 4-star The Reef Coco Beach, including direct Manchester flights departing 5 October 2026, for £500pp.

That’s full all-inclusive on a Caribbean beach for £71pp per night – tough to beat!

8. Kuta, Bali – £70pp per night

Bali is unbeatable if you want an extended, laid-back break where your spending money goes miles further.

Kuta and neighbouring Legian are a convenient, high-value base packed with beachfront cafes, surf spots, and local markets.

It’s worth ticking this paradise island off your bucket list while prices are low, and in Kuta you can try everything from surfing to ticking off amazing temples.

The Sevn Legian hotel is an ideal base to book, with modern rooms, a great pool and a swim-up bar.

I clocked seven nights at the 4-star Sevn Legian for £630pp, including indirect London Heathrow flights and hold luggage departing 25 February 2027.

That works out at just £70pp per night for seven nights in Bali. Run, don’t walk…

9. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – £68pp per night

If your goal is a classic Caribbean beach break with no extra spending once you arrive, Punta Cana easily takes the number one spot in my list.

All inclusive dominates this coastline – 97% of Punta Cana bookings with On the Beach opt for it – and our recent data shows package prices sitting at near-record lows (down 14% fortnight-on-fortnight).

You get turquoise water, swaying palm trees, and expansive 4-star beachfront resorts for three-star European prices.

And even better, I found a seven-night all-inclusive stay at the 4-star Sunscape Coco Punta Cana for just £478pp, including direct Manchester flights departing 6 October 2026.

That’s flights, 4-star accommodation, all meals, and all drinks in the Caribbean for a staggering £68pp per night.

This is definitely the one I’d be booking right now.

With the US midterm elections just weeks away, Donald Trump’s administration is trying to put a positive spin on a war with Iran that shows no sign of letting up.

Climbing fuel and grocery prices, the president’s provocative social media posts and the Pentagon’s combative relationship with the media are making that story harder to sell.

Contributors: 
Laicie Heeley – Editor-in-chief, Inkstick
Mark Kimmitt – Former US Assistant Secretary of State
Negar Mortazavi – Host, The Iran Podcast
Samira Mohyeddin – Founder, On The Line Media

On our radar

Revelations from Israeli newspaper Haaretz about what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew before the October 7 attacks have ignited a firestorm in the country. Netanyahu calls the reporting fabricated and is threatening to sue.

Ryan Kohls reports.

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Six years on from the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 is back in the headlines – and so are questions about how newsrooms covered it.

The Listening Post’s Nicholas Muirhead on how the pandemic broke trust in the US.

Featuring: 
Amesh Adalja – Infectious Disease Physician, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
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THE FINAL tickets for one of the country’s biggest Christmas events will drop TODAY.

LaplandUK will release its final batch of tickets today at midday.

These will be the final tickets available for the 2026 events and there will also be tickets to the Golden Experience available.

Tickets will be available for both Lapland Ascot and Lapland Manchester – which has more availability of the two.

Fans can also nab tickets to The Golden Experience – a VIP experience with a personal guide, private check in, a meal in Pumpernickel’s secret pantry in the Eleven Village, priority seating and access, honorary elf hats, Golden Explorers pin badge, onsite currency, a signed Lapland storybook and a 2026 bauble.

Each experience will have its own online queue.

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Those who are signed up to LaplandUK’s newsletter will receive an email before midday with links to all the queues.

Then at midday, all people in the virtual queues will be randomly assigned a place in line for tickets.

Once you reach the front of that line, you will be able to make your booking.

LaplandUK states: “We recommend joining ahead of midday to give you the best chance of securing your preferred visit.”

The experience is often dubbed the ‘Glastonbury of Christmas’ due to tickets selling out fast each year.

And earlier this year when tickets were released in March, they sold out within a few hours.

This year will mark the second edition of LaplandUK Manchester at Capesthorne Hall.

At both experiences, guests can enjoy immersive sets and live performances.

Tickets include a four-and-a-half hour journey through the Enchanted Forest and into the Eleven World.

Children get to help the elves make toys and Mother Christmas to decorate gingerbread.

And of course, after all that, guests will get to meet Father Christmas himself.

Both UK experiences will be open from November 7 to December 24.

And ticket prices range from £60 to £155 per person, depending on the day you visit.

Golden Experience tickets range from £299 to £599 per person.

STACEY Solomon has shared an emotional goodbye to Pickle Cottage after selling her £1.3 million home. 

Yesterday she and husband Joe Swash confirmed to fans they had sold their “dream home” and would be moving out “imminently”.  

Now Sort Your Life Out host Stacey, 36,  has shared a montage of her favourite memories from living in Pickle Cottage, which they bought in 2021. 

Writing on Instagram, she said: “Thank You & Goodbye Pickle Cottage.

“A little montage of some of the best years of our lives… We will forever be grateful for the last 5 years at Pickle. 

“What a special place & how lucky we’ve been to have lived there. Memories that will last forever… 

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“Wishing all of the love & happiness to the new family who get to love pickle cottage. And here’s to the next chapter…”

Stacey, who is mum to Zachary,  18, Leighton, 14, Rex, seven, Rose, four, and three-year-old Belle, yesterday explained how she and Joe, 44, are moving to a new property with more land so they are able to rescue more animals.  

She said: “Leaving Pickle Cottage was a massive, massive, decision for us, we had a lot of people we needed to speak to, we needed to get the kids around to the idea and speak to all our neighbours and lovely friends in the area. 

“There were so many people we needed to speak to before we told everybody.

It’s a really special place to us. I gave birth to both of the girls there, we got married there, it’s just so special to us.

“But for a little while we have always wanted to rescue more animals, grow more vegetables, my vegetable patch, I have got so much joy out of it, but it’s on Farmer Scott’s land. So if he decides to do something with that land, it’s gone.”

Stacey added: “We saw somewhere, found somewhere, and I was like ‘Oh my God’ and I was like, we could have a massive vegetable patch and we could offer our land to animals who need it.”